About Vonnie

Harford County
​     Vonnie Winslow Crist (Masters in Professional Writing, Towson University), is author of Shivers, Scares, and Goosebumps; The Enchanted DaggerDragon Rain; Beneath Raven's Wing; The Greener Forest; ​Owl Light; Murder on Marawa Prime; How to Write for Anthologies (co-authored with Kelly Harmon); Leprechaun Cake & Other Tales; River of Stars; Essential Fables; ​and other books. Awards for her books include: The 2022… more

The Chronicles of Lifthrasir

Believing stories help us learn from the past, embrace the complexities of the present, and prepare us for the future, I write lots of stories. Believing myths, legends, folklore, and fairy tales are important to understanding people and their fears, fmailiar networks, societal structures, and core values, I use them for inspiration. This is the beginning place for all of my fiction.

The world-building to create Lifthrasir, the setting of The Enchanted Dagger, Beyond the Sheercliffs, and any future books in The chronicles of Lifthrasir, ​was both fun and daunting. Lifthrasir is the name of the woman who survives Ragnarok, and means one who clings to and celebrates life - so it is an apt name for a work where characters must make the right choices or face dire consequences. I've tried to not only incorporate pieces of known mythology, but invent my own to give the book and its universe a rich tapestry of  legends, myths, and lore.

The Enchanted Dagger​ is an epic fantasy novel, that while written for adults, is Young Adult friendly. It is the first book in The Chronicles of Lifthrasir. The protagonist, Beck Conleth, begins the book living a quiet life in a seaside town with his grandmother. She sends him to retrieve his father's bones and a family dagger, and the adventure ensues. In addressing this genre, I've tried to bring my own style and creativity to not only the setting, characters, and conflicts, but to the overall battle between good and evil--which is at the core of every epic fantasy.

​The novel was a Compton Crook Award Finalist and Maryland Writers Association Book Award Winner. It has been called:
"a strong tale set in a world intricately woven through with magic" by award-winning author, Jody Lynn Nye
An absorbing tale...finely crafted" by novelist, Roxanne Bland
"capably-written, energetic, and entertaining" by prolific short story writer, Jim Lee.

A sample of the positive reviews:
"Adventure, magical creatures, enchantment, and evil lurking around every corner...a very enjoyable read" from Getting Your Read On​ (Aimee Brown, reviewer)
"A thrilling story...recommended to all readers of fantasy adventure. Five stars and a thumbs-up to an excellent book" from Books 4 Tomorrow (Ellen Fritz, reviewer).

Beyond the Sheercliffs is the next book in ​The Chronicles of Lifthrasir​, of which The Enchanted Skean​ is the first in the series. Rather than a traditionally told novel, ​Beyond the Sheercliffs ​is told via novellas which meet at the end of the narrative. Each of the cast of characters and protagonists in the tales has a role to play in the next novel in the series. While the storytelling technique is new to me, I've found it both challenging and rewarding to write the tale from multiple points of view.

​The novellas did not originally begin as parts of a book-length manuscript, but as episodes I wanted to expand into four separate books. Once I began the writing process, I realized these narratives added together gave a more complete look at the same time in the larger story of Lifthrasir. Once again, while written for adults, ​Beyond the Sheercliffs​ is Young Adult friendly.

Scheduled for publication by Pole to Pole Publishing, ​Beyond the Sheercliffs ​is under contract, and has a cover already available from the publisher. 
  • 1 Enchanted Dagger - VWCrist.jpg
    1 Enchanted Dagger - VWCrist.jpg
    "Enchanted Dagger" by Vonnie Winslow Crist, Compton Crook Award Finalist and Maryland Writers Association Book Award Winner.
  • BeyondSheercliffs_Balticon.jpg
    BeyondSheercliffs_Balticon.jpg
    "Beyond the Sheercliffs" by Vonnie Winslow Crist. Book 1.5 in The Chronicles of Lifthrasir.

Story Collections

Believing stories help us to learn from the past, embrace the complexities of the present, and prepare for future, I write lots of stories. Believing myths, legends, folklore, and fairy tales are important in understanding people and their fears, familiar networks, societal structure, and core values. I use them as inspiration. This is the beginning place for all my fiction and most of my poems.

Dragon Rain is the title of my fourth story collection. Dragons and their kin are present in almost all mythologies. Whether they're portrayed as good, evil, or an ambiguous symbol for nature, dragons usually represent power, wisdom, and strength. Among the cultures celebrated in Dragon Rain are: Japanese, Chinese, Norse, Appalachian, Southern USA Bayou, Alternate Middle Eastern History, Ancient Greek, Medieval European, contemporary USA, British, and Native American. (My 7th great-grandmother was Shinnecock). I hope the collection demonstrates though people are different, we share common challenges, emotions, aspirations, and desires. "A delightful set of dragon tales" says Debbie Mumford, bestselling author. "Sure to please every dracophile" writes awardiwinning author G. Scott Huggins. "Author Steven R. Southard says "Immerse yourself in Dragon Rain, eighteen fantasy stories penned by a master weaver of magical tales." And author james Dorr writes, "Dragon Rain is a rich mix of stories."

Owl Light​ is my second collection of short stories and poems where early stars flicker, owls wake from slumber, and shadows appear where shadows ought not be. In the prose and poems, Owl Light​ ​dims to darkness, dreams change to nightmares, and dawn in more distant than you know.  Again, while written for adults, these stories are Young Adult friendly.  Guardian Liberty Voice ​says of ​Owl Light: "a spellbinding collection," and January Gray Reviews says: "This book will keep you thinking long after you have read it." Other comments ​include: "a wonderful collection of short stories and poems that transport the reader from the past and into the future...Highly recommended" - speculative author, David Lee Summers; "Fairy tales new and re-imagined, modern myth and ancient ritual. Her stories span galaxies and eons. There is something to resonate with all readers within its pages" - author, Rie Sheridan Rose; "A quiet darkness pervades Crist's stories and poems...If you let the tales lull you to sleep, expect shining eyes to peer into the forest of your dreams"- author Anne E. Johnson; and "...a rich tapestry of magic and ritual. What delights the reader...is the way Crist can apply fresh eyes to a familiar situation and conversely, can present the unfamiliar as if it were an old friend" - award-winning writer, Jonathan Shipley.

The Greener Forest is my first collection of short stories and poems. The title refers to that magical place where Faerie and the everyday world collide. There is dark and light, evil and good, and uncertain dusky gray lurking in the stories and poems that inhabit the book's pages. Readers will discover all is not what it seems at first glance, and wondrous things still happen in The Greener Forest. ​While written for adults, the collection is Young Adult friendly.  The Greener Forest​ has been called:
"A wonderful, imaginative, multifaceted collection" by author EJ Stevens. "Magikal, enchanting, and so enticing" by young adult novelist, TJ Perkins. Speculative author Robert E. Waters wrote: "Read this collection. You won't be disappointed." Award-winning Maryland author, Laura Shovan, says of The Greener Forest:  "For Grimm lovers, a darkly imaginative book of modern fairy tales."






  • Dragon Rain cover.jpg
    Dragon Rain cover.jpg
    "Dragon Rain" by Vonnie Winslow Crist.
  • Owl Light with award_0001.jpg
    Owl Light with award_0001.jpg
    Owl Light by Vonnie Winslow Crist. eFestival of Words Short Story Collection Winner 2018.
  • The Greener Forest.jpg
    The Greener Forest.jpg
    "The Greener Forest," a collection of stories and poems by Vonnie Winslow Crist.

Owl Light

Believing stories help us learn from the past, embrace the complexities of the present, and prepare for the future, I write lots of stories. Believing myths, legends, folklore, and fairy tales are important in understanding people and their fears, familiar networks, societal structure, and core values, I use them as imspiration. This is the beginning place for all of my fiction and most of my poems.

Owl Light​ is a collection of short stories and poems where early stars flicker, owls wake from slumber, and shadows appear where shadows ought not be. In the prose and poems, Owl Light​ ​dims to darkness, dreams change to nightmares, and dawn in more distant than you know.  Again, while written for adults, these stories are Young Adult friendly.  Guardian Liberty Voice ​says of ​Owl Light: "a spellbinding collection," and January Gray Reviews says: "This book will keep you thinking long after you have read it." Other comments ​include: "a wonderful collection of short stories and poems that transport the reader from the past and into the future...Highly recommended" - speculative author, David Lee Summers; "Fairy tales new and re-imagined, modern myth and ancient ritual. Her stories span galaxies and eons. There is something to resonate with all readers within its pages" - author, Rie Sheridan Rose; "A quiet darkness pervades Crist's stories and poems...If you let the tales lull you to sleep, expect shining eyes to peer into the forest of your dreams"- author Anne E. Johnson; and "...a rich tapestry of magic and ritual. What delights the reader...is the way Crist can apply fresh eyes to a familiar situation and conversely, can present the unfamiliar as if it were an old friend" - award-winning writer, Jonathan Shipley.

I have included the covers of some of the magazines and books where the stories included in Owl Light​ have been published, so readers can see the wide array of short fiction publications available.
  • Owl Light by Vonnie Winslow Crist.jpg
    Owl Light by Vonnie Winslow Crist.jpg
    "Owl Light" by Vonnie Winslow Crist is a collection of short stories and poems which occur during "owl light," the time between dusk and dawn. Most of the stories and poems contain owls as well. An eFestival of Words 2018 Short Story Collection Award winner, "Owl Light" includes science fiction stories as well as fantasy tales.
  • Merrow anthology.jpg
    Merrow anthology.jpg
    "Owl Light" story, "By the Sea," is included inthe 2020 anthology, "Merrow." This Writers of the Future Honorable Mention story was also published in "Tales of the Talisman," 5-3. This story was inspired by carnival and sideshow folkways and sea mythology. It's set on a boardwalk amusement park area, not unlike Ocean City, Maryland.
  • Neptune Planetary Antho.jpg
    Neptune Planetary Antho.jpg
    "Owl Light" story, "The Burryman," is included in the 2020 anthology, "Neptune - Planetary Anthology Series." "The Burryman" is also included in "The Great Tome of Cryptids and Legendary Creatures" and "Ocean Stories." Inspired by the British custom of the Burryman's Parade and Greek mythology, this story is set in an unnamed seaside town which relies on fishing to survive.
  • Chrysalis antho.jpg
    Chrysalis antho.jpg
    "Owl Light" story, "Feathers," is included in the 2020 "Chrysalis" anthology. The story appears as well in "Trysts of Fate," August 2016. Inspired by the story, "Rumplestiltskin," it's told from the point of view of the dwarf. Also included are pottery and owl lore. It is set in a European-like locale.
  • Ghosts of the Past.jpg
    Ghosts of the Past.jpg
    "Owl Light" story, "Pawprints of the Margay," is included in the anthology, "Ghosts of the Past: Best of 2019 Anthology." The story is also included in "The Great Tome of Fantastic and Wondrous Places" and "Galactic Goddesses." Inspired by folkways of various African tribes and the concept of 1st contact and its adverse effects, the story is set in the distant future on a planet far from Earth. At its core, it's a story about the power of women.
  • great tome magicians, necromancers, and mystics.jpg
    great tome magicians, necromancers, and mystics.jpg
    "Owl Light" story, "A Salem Town Great-Granddaughter," is included in the anthology, "The Great Tome of Magicians, Necromancers, and Mystics." This story was inspired by the Salem witch trial lore and Faerie lore. It is set in a small town on Halloween.
  • alternate facts digital science fiction antho.jpg
    alternate facts digital science fiction antho.jpg
    "Owl Light" story, "Gifts in the Dark," is included in the book, "Alternate Facts: Digital Science Fiction Anthology" (Canada). Also published as a stand-alone eShort by Digital Fiction Corp., it was included in the book, "Dia de los Muertos - A Day of the Dead Anthology," and is forthcoming in 2021 in "Lockdown Science Fiction" from Australian press, Black Hare Publishing. Inspired by various Indigenous People's myths and customs and the concept of traveling light years away to find a suitable place for humnakind to resettle, the story is set on a new Earth. Again, women have agency in this tale.
  • frostfire worlds aug2016.jpg
    frostfire worlds aug2016.jpg
    "Owl Light" story, "The Monk's Fosterling," was published in the 4th Anniversary Issue of "FrostFire Worlds." This story was inspired by the selkie mythology. It shows the complex relationship between Christian monks and ancient myth.
  • potter's field 4.jpg
    potter's field 4.jpg
    "Owl Light" story, "Henkie's Fiddle," is included in the anthology, "Potter's Field 4." It was also published as both a podcast and an online story by "Cast of Wonders" (UK), and is due to appear in 2021 in the "Lockdown Fantasy" anthology (Australia). Inspired by several dark creatures of Faerie, it is a story of consequences for behavior both bad and good. It is set in a village and cemetery typical of many areas of the USA.
  • outposts of beyond apr2017.jpg
    outposts of beyond apr2017.jpg
    "Owl Light" story, "For the Good of the Settlement," is included in the April 2017 issue of "Outposts of Beyond." The story was inspired by folkways of country and mountain people of the USA. Rather than try to go back in time to capture the customs, the story leaps to the far future on a distant planet where life will be much like the frontier days. At its core, it's about whether there's any good reason for bad behavior.

Murder on Marawa Prime

Believing stories help us learn from the past, embrace the complexities of the present, and prepare for the future, I write lots of stories. Believing myths, legends, folklore, and fairy tales are important in understanding pepole and their fears, familiar networks, societal structures, and core values, I use them for inspiration. This is the beginning place for all of my fiction.

Murder on Marawa Prime ​is a science fiction murder mystery. Murder, romance, and flawed science experiments make for a life and death race across Marawa Prime. Two people end up dead by the end of the journey. But just who are the assassins and who are the victims? 

I had fun writing a murder mystery set on a distant planet. The location may be different than earth, but people are people with motives aplenty to commit murder. The challenge with this book was for the reader to identify with the locale and characters even though they are on a different world. The animal side-kick was especially fun - no cat or dog - instead I chose a singing opossum! Again, though written for adults, ​Murder on Marawa Prime ​is Young Adult friendly.

Reviewed in Analog - Science Fiction And Fact magazine, Don Sakers had this to say: "​Murder on Marawa Prime is a SF story and a noir mystery, set on a fascinating and well-drawn planet, all packed into a novelette that will leave you wanting more...The story's tightly plotted, and author Crist does an excellent job of keeping multiple balls in the air while revealing the unique and deadly secrets that have brought murder to Marawa Prime."

Award-winning Science Fiction author, Charles E. Gannon wrote: "Vonnie Crist serves up some deliciously dangerous interstellar noir in Murder on Marawa Prime. ​One part Raymond Chandler, one part Agatha Christie, and a huge dose of her own exceptionally clean prose and understated worldbuilding, this is a fast-moving nail-biter on a planet at once iconic and alien."
Science Fiction author Gail Z. Martin says about the book: "Inventive and entertaining--a real thrill-ride!"
And award-winning writer, Deborah Walker writes, "A fast-paced story of assassins, genetic engineering, singing opossums and betrayal, Vonnie Winslow Crist writes the future fantastic."

The response to this book has been so positive, I think I will be writing a series of linked stories set on Marawa Prime. I'm just not certain they will ALL involve murder and intrigue.
  • Murder on Marawa Prime by Vonnie Winslow Crist.jpg
    Murder on Marawa Prime by Vonnie Winslow Crist.jpg
    "Murder on Marawa Prime" by Vonnie Winslow Crist